US1679296A - Illuminated sign and letter therefor - Google Patents

Description

July 31, 192s. 1,679,296

C. B. EHNBORN ILLUIINATED SIGN AND LETTER THEREFOR Filed April 24, 1924 Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Fres.

oHA'RLEs B; 'EHNiOnNfoF 'GLEN 'ELLYIL ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To A"terminas Cusack COMPANY, oF CHIoAGjOg ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or NEW' JERSEY:

ILLUMINATED SIGN AND LETTER THERFOR.

appnatun med Apri124, 1924. `serial No. acaciaV This invention relatesgto an iliiprovement in signs 'and consists of the matters hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out in the appended v`claims` i 5 The object of the invention is to provide a sign and sign letter or character .whichare cheap and economical of construction, which are readily and easily kepti clean and which .provide a brilliant andbold 'eii'ectboth as a day sign and night sign. Another ob]ect of the invention is to .provide a signgof the kind yin which the letters or characters may be :easily and quicklyV interchanged o-r rearranged. j n

The several advantages of the novel sign and sign letter will appear more fully as I proceed with specification.

In the drawings-` I `Fig. '.1 is aview in `front elevation ot an illuminated" lign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same on an enlargedscale, as vtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.`

Fig. 3 is a viewin rear elevation Votone of the letter or character members forming 'a part of my invention.

Fig. `tis a View in trontelevation otra modified form of: letter or vcharacter member forming a part of my invention. D

Referring, now, in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings: 5 indicates'the casing or bodyof the sign and 6-6 indicates letter or character members associated therewith. The casing 5 is made of sheet metal in the form of an open tront box which is of a heightv greater than its depth and of a length which will accommodate the desired number ot' letter members to be used therewith.

The casing has a rear wall 7 end walls 8-8, top Vand bottom walls 910 respec-V tively and a front wall 12 in which an elon' gated opening 13 is provided for the letter members. The parts ofthe front wall 12 defining the edges of the opening 13 are formed on their rear faces with inturned flanges 14 which stiften said wall and give it the appearance of thickness.

Within the casing is a vertically convex reflector plate 15 which extends'from the top to the bottom wall of the casing, being iixed in that osition in any suitable manner. The re eetor plate extends the full length et the easing and is preferably paintf` of. a comparatively small dia-meter.

ed white so as to present a bright white refleeting back-ground tor the letter members,

4presently to be described.

Spaced a suitable distance from Jthetop and bottom edges ofthe opening 13 and just Vare supported at points between their ends by braces 17. which. braces` include rearwardly extending legs 1S. `The legs 18 vhave a hooked connection with 4'flange strips 19-19 on the reiectorplate. I

Monnted on the top and bottom walls 'of the casing between the reflector plate 15 and the front wall oit' the casing vare brackets `--20 carrying electric lamp sockets 21-1-21 ftor lthe lamps 22, said lamps being so positio'ned tobeconcealed `from view through theopening 13. v l .i

The letter or character members Gare adapted to besnpported in the opening 13 in the plane of t-hefflange 14. `Each letter member comprisessheet metal Stfrips`23-23 which are lseparated from eachother toprovide a space 24 between them. As shown in Figs. 1j,l 2v and 3 said strips are made oiichan,` nel cross-section with their ianges directed toward the reliector plate and the strips ot each letter are rigidly connected together in spaced relation by small rods 25-25 which are of such diameter as to be substantially -invisible where they cross the spaces 24.

Fixed in a suitable manner to the rear face of each letter member are downwardly facing hooks 26 which are adapted to have a hooked engagement upon the rods 16-16 as shown in Fig. 2. Then said hooks are engaged upon said rods, they hold the letter strips forming the letter members G are painted a color `(such as black) which will present a sharp contrast to the back-ground provided by the reflector 15. `Aswill be noticed from Fig. 1, the supporting reds 16X-a6 are' se arranged with te the opening 13 and the hooks 26 are so arranged on the letter members, as to provide an equal spacing between the top and bottom strips of said letter members and the top and bottomy flanges 1-f of the front Wall 12 defining the opening 13.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of sign letter wherein the strips 23u-23a forming said letter member are of a double bevel cross-section instead of a channel cross-sec tion as before described.

lVhen a group of the letter members are supported in position in the opening 13 of a sign easing asA before described, and the lamps 22 are illuminated, an odd and attractive appearance is created. The light reflected from the back-ground through the fully open letter members imparts an appearance of White or opalescent glass letters clearly defined by black out-lines upon a white background. I'Vhen the lamps are thus illuminated the suliporting rods 16 and the Wires 25-25vwhich connect the parts of the letter member strips together are practically invisible so that their presence in no manner detracts from the appearance of the sign. j

The letter members are indeed light in Weight when compared with raised glass letter plate for signs and are therefore much easier and cheaper to make and to keep clean. Furthermore the letter members may be more easily changed or shifted about than the heavy glass letter plates before referred to and will not prove so dangerous if dropped during the handling they receive when making changes in the matter to be depicted on said signs. Should snow or rain blow into the sign through the opening 13, the water therefrom Willvdrain through suitable holes provided therefor in the bottom Wall of the casing between the front Wall and reflector.

While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement ol parts, I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention,

1. An illuminated sign comprising in combination, an open front casing having a light reflecting back-ground, vertically spaced rods extending longitudinally of the open front of the casing, letter members removably supported and longitudinallyv shiftable on said rods, each letter member including spaced strips defining the out-line of a letter in contrast to said light reflecting background, and concealed means in the casing for illuminating said light reflecting background.

2. An illuminated sign comprising in combination, an open front casing having a. light reflecting back-ground, vertically spaced rods extending longitudinally of the open front of the easing and secured at their ends to said casing, brace members for said rods engaged with and extending forwardly from said light reflecting back-ground, letter members having hooks on their rear sides adapted for a removable hooked engagement with said rods, each letter member in cluding spaced strips dening the out-line of a letter in contrast to said light reflecting back-ground. and means concealed back of the front wall parts defining the top and bottom edges of said opening for illuminating the said light reflecting back-ground.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I affix my signature this 4th day of April, 1924.

'CHARLES B. EHNBORN.

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